


Stay With Me

by thatonedudewiththename



Category: Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, Pining, Rewrite, Septimash, Septiplier - Freeform, So much angst, no markimash, pax east fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-09
Packaged: 2018-03-16 10:19:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3484595
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatonedudewiththename/pseuds/thatonedudewiththename
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In all honesty, Jack should've known that meeting one of his best internet friends in person would lead to something like this; it felt like he was drowning, but with Mark, the water was the clearest air.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Day One

When Sean exited the gates of the airport to see his friend Mark Fischbach standing in the dim sunlight with that beautiful bright smile of his, Sean felt like he'd just been punched in the gut. He felt tears pull at his eyes, but he wiped them away as he walked out of the double doors to wrap the buffer male in a tight hug. "I saw you tearing up, Jackaroonie." Mark teased.

Sean laughed. "Shut up!"

After a second, they pulled back and stared at each other— they were the same height, so it wasn't too awkward. "It's good'ta finally see ya in person, Mark!" Sean grinned.

"Yeah it is!" Mark's voice was even more melodious in real life. "The computer screen doesn't do you justice."

Sean felt his cheeks heat up and he scratched the back of his neck. "Thanks, man."

Mark just grinned, looking like God himself in his white jacket, black Warfstache scarf, and well-fitted jeans, his floofy black hair messy and unshaven face bright and wonderful. "Come on, they're all waiting for you at the hotel. Aaron is already here!" He beamed. 

"Really?" Sean smiled as he asked— the infamous Yamimash. He couldn't wait to see him. 

Opening the back seat of his car, Mark took Sean's luggage and stacked it on the seat, huffing a little as he moved. "Yeah, he just got in a few hours ago. He was asleep, but he just texted me so I guess he's not jetlagged anymore." When he was done, he closed the car door, and then opened the passenger's side door for his friend. "After you." 

Sean laughed and smiled, his face mirroring Mark's own; God, his positive energy was contagious. It swelled within Sean, warming him from the inside out. "Thank ya!" he said as he got in the car. 

"No problemo friendirino." 

Once Mark got in, they were off.

It was cold as fuck in Boston and snowing like the end of days. Sean had never seen so much snow in his life, nor had he felt such bitter wind chill— -3 degrees Celsius? No thanks. Sean wanted to grab his luggage and get inside the hotel as quickly as he could; thankfully, with big strong Mark around, that was easy, even though they had to park in one of those parking garages nearly a block away. The slush made it slow going, but they managed to arrive at the front desk in one piece. "I've got a reservation fer Sean McLoughlin." Sean said to the concierge. 

They began typing on their computer. "What day?" 

"March 4th ta 10th. Single room." 

They continued typing for about a minute before they turned back to Sean with a blank expression. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't have any reservations under that name." 

Sean's eyes nearly bugged out of his head. "Wha- are you serious? Check again, please! It's Sean McLoughlin, S-E-A-N M-C-L-O-U-G-H-L-I-N. I called two months ago!" 

Tippity-tap went the keys under the concierge's fingers, their face betraying no emotion whatsoever other than the occasional sniffle or twitch of a lip. Again, they turned to the Youtuber and said, "I'm truly sorry, sir, but we have no reservations under that name. Would you like to try a different one?" 

Turning to Mark, Sean threw his free hand in the air and huffed out a breath of air. "What am I s'posed'ta do now, aye? I don't got enough in th' bank to get another since I already _paid_ for my _room!"_ He raised his voice so the concierge could hear. 

Mark held Sean's upper arm and smiled reassuringly. "It's ok, Sean. I got this." To the concierge, he asked, "Is it alright if he shares my room?" 

For the second time, Sean's face broke out into a red blush. "Y-ya don't really have'ta do t'at, Mark..." 

"No, I wanna. I got ya to come all the way out here from Ireland, and no missing reservation is gonna stop us from having a kickass time together." 

Sighing, Sean gestured for Mark to continue. 

Raising their eyebrow, the concierge looked to Mark. "He'll have to pay for his own commodities, but yes, it's fine." 

Pivoting on his heel, Mark beamed at Sean. "Let's go!" 

Their rooms were on the third floor, just across the hall from Wade's, and then a couple doors down was Aaron's, and then Bob's. Mark opened the door to his room, and almost instantly he and Sean were bombarded by voices and the rushing of feet. "He's here!" A familiar voice with an English accent cried— Aaron. 

"Jack!" That was Wade. 

"Yay." Bob, obviously. 

By the time the door was pushed open, the entryway was blocked by three figures; one extremely tall and wide, the second also tall but thin, and the third of average height but kind of thick. All three had smiles on their faces. A chorus of "Jack"'s and "Sean"'s erupted. Sean was taken aback for a second. "Christ!" He blurted. 

Aaron rushed forth and hugged Sean tightly; he smelled of tea and cats. Some fur tickled Sean's nose and he sneezed. "Sorry, that's from my new kitten." Aaron apologized as he pulled away. 

"Oi!" Sean sniffled, wiping his nose on his sleeve. "It's fine." 

It was then he finally got to actually take a look at his friend. "Ya look good, mate! Lookin' fit!" He lightly punched Aaron's stomach and smiled. 

Aaron laughed airily and his ears turned pink instead of his cheeks. "Thanks, I've been liftin'," 

Mark cut in and took Sean's bags, earning him a "T'ank ya" from the distracted Irishman, who had moved further into the room so he could greet Bob and Wade, Aaron at his heels. "'Bout time you got here!" Wade held out a hand to shake. 

"Wade, you bastard!" Sean gripped the hand and pulled Wade in for a bro hug. "Good ta see ya, laddie!" 

Next was Bob. Sean held out his arms. "Bring it in, Bob! I know ya want some'a this!" 

"I _guess,"_ Bob joked, stooping down to hug his shorter friend. 

"It's like huggin' a bear!" Sean's voice was muffled against Bob's shirt. 

"I said the same thing," Aaron told him. 

Someone cleared their throat and broke up the joyous greetings. Letting go of Bob and turning around, Sean saw that it was Mark. "It's good to see you guys all here together," he said, grinning, his eyes wet. "I can't wait to spend five whole days with all of you, but let's give Jack some rest, huh?" 

Sean was about to protest, but he was cut off by a yawn. "Oof, yeah, I'm jetlagged. I'll catch you guys later, aye?" He said to his friends. 

"Sure, Sean." Bob nodded. 

"We'll see you later, buddy." Wade waved, following Bob out. 

Aaron hugged Sean again. "I'm just down the hall, alright? Room 30B." 

"Got it, 30B." Sean patted his back. 

When everyone had gone and the door closed, Mark looked to his friend and smiled. "You can have the bed, bro. I'll go hang with the others for a while." He said. 

Sean nodded and smiled in return. "Thanks, man." 

Mark waved over his shoulder as he made for the door. "Sleep tight." 

"Later, Mark." 

As soon as the door closed, Sean fell onto the bed and sighed, kicking his shoes off and worming out of his coat without sitting up. Once he was comfortable, he fell fast asleep. 

It was late when he finally woke up. According to his phone— which he took out of the pocket of his coat— it was just after eight. The hotel room was dark, save for a dim bedside lamp that didn't really do shit. 'Mark must not be back yet,' Sean thought as he sat up and groaned, stretching and then sighing at the relief he felt in his cramped limbs. He smacked his lips and grimaced; right, hadn't brushed his teeth for half a day, so that was priority number one at the moment. Standing, he shuffled noiselessly over to his backpack in the corner of the room and took out his toothbrush and a travel-sized tube of toothpaste, along with a pair of pajama pants since his jeans were uncomfortable. He straightened from his crouched position and turned, heading for the bathroom, only to stop beside the bed and oggle when the bathroom door opened and Mark walked out, wearing nothing but underwear, black hair damp and sticking out everywhere, steam from the shower he'd taken rolling out with him somewhat dramatically. Blue eyes wide and face now bright red, Sean's mouth opened and closed in a futile attempt to say something; however, nothing came out, and he was left looking like a creep, standing there staring, until Mark turned and saw him. The scantily clothed man jumped a bit and tried to cover himself with the clothes he was carrying. "Sean! Christ! Warn a guy!" Mark yelped, his voice cracking and his cheeks now also turning red. 

"I-I- uh..." Sean stuttered. His body seemed unsure about whether or not it should move, jerking to the left, and then returning to its original position. He swallowed thickly, eyes roaming over Mark's body subconsciously before he finally managed to pull his head away. "S-sorry." His heart was beating against his ribcage so loudly, he could hear it in his ears and could feel his veins throbbing. 

"It's ok, just... say something next time." Mark said. Sean heard the rustle of fabric, and when it stopped, Mark told him, "I'm dressed now." 

Regardless, Sean didn't look at him; shuffling quickly to the bathroom and inside, he closed and locked the door before sighing harshly and smacking his hands over his still overheated face. "Oh my fucking God..." He whispered. The image of Mark near-naked was still burned into his brain- well, more of a gif, really, playing over and over in slow motion. Sean nearly whimpered at it. 'I have a girlfriend, I have a girlfriend, I have a girlfriend, I have a girlfriend,' he thought over and over. In an attempt to rid himself of Mark's dumb face and body, he thought of his girlfriend in Korea and of all the great times they'd had together when he first visited. Sound in this practice, he began brushing his teeth. 

When he had finished in the bathroom, he exited and walked slowly out into the room, jeans and his hoodie in hand. Mark was in bed on his phone, but he looked up and put his mobile away when Sean came into the room. "Hey, Sean," he gracefully spun on his butt to plant his feet on the floor and stood up, seeming to almost reach out to his friend. Sean visibly flinched away. The apologetic expression on Mark's countenance made him blush, but also caused his gut to churn in a strange and discomforting way. Upon seeing Sean flinch, Mark ceased his advances. "I'm sorry for earlier," he began. 

Sean kept walking toward his suitcase and backpack, both ignoring his friend and wanting him to come closer. 

"I should've gotten dressed in the bathroom." Mark finished. 

To be honest, Sean didn't even know why he was so embarrassed; it's not like he saw the guy _naked,_ in fact, he'd seen worse on the internet. So why was this bugging him so much? Sighing, Sean zipped up his suitcase and turned around to face Mark, mouth twisted to the side and eyes drooping. "Nah, man, it's me. I was just bein' a baby about it." He told him, smiling a little and shrugging. "We're good, bro." 

The way Mark literally lit up with a wide smile made the butterflies in Sean's gut increase their fluttering; in turn, he shifted in discomfort. Clearing his throat and forcing a grin, he asked his friend, "So, were ya goin' t' bed, or..?" 

Mark shook his head. "No, I have too much energy, oddly enough. I was just on Tumblr." 

Sean couldn't help but laugh a little at that; ah, Tumblr. Just yesterday he'd seen a picture of he and Mark smooching it up— that was always fun, and by fun he meant kind of awkward but also... nice, in a way. He liked seeing fanart of he and Mark being cute together, after all he'd looked up to and had practically idolized the guy for such a long time that it was almost flattering. 'Yeah, that's it,' he convinced himself mentally, 'I'm flattered, that's all.' To Mark, he offered, "Do ya want t' watch some TV?" 

Again, Mark lit up the room with his radiant smile. "Sure!" 

While Mark sat on his side of the bed, Sean grabbed the remote and turned the TV on before tossing the remote to his friend. "Look fer somet'in', I'm gonna get us some drinks." He said. 

"Alcohol?" Mark asked, expression sort of displeased. 

"Ya don't want any?" Sean questioned in reply, looking over the door of the mini fridge. 

Mark's mouth twisted up in thought, squinting his eyes a bit, thumb still flipping through the channels of the TV. "Mm... Yeah, why not. I'll cut loose a bit. You gotta get me my pills from my bag, though." 

"Comin' right up, brah." 

Sean scooped the entire contents of the mini fridge into his arms and slowly waddled back to the bed, dropping the small bottles there, and then walking around to his side of the bed on the right (his left) and to the corner where all of Mark's luggage was. "Which bag 'r ya pills in?" He asked. 

"Duffel, small side pocket." Mark answered. Noises of explosions and shouting came from the TV. "Transformers is on, wanna watch that?" 

Standing, Sean shook his head. "Nah." Pivoting 180 degrees, he tossed a small bottle to Mark as he climbed onto the bed. "That it?" 

Mark nodded when he read the label. "Yep." From the bedside table beside him, he took his water bottle and downed a couple pills once he'd popped the lid and shook a few into his hand. Washing the capsules down with a long drink of water, he sighed and set the plastic bottle back and orange pill container onto the stand. Still, he was flipping through the channels, going and going until he stopped on the FX Movie channel. On screen, Jake Gyllenhaal was getting off of a bus onto a dirt ground wearing 60s-style Southern clothes. "What is this?" Mark said aloud, looking at the remote for the info button and pressing it once he'd found it. "'Brokeback Mountain'," He read. "Oh." 

"Isn't t'at about those two cowboys on a mountain herding sheep 'r somet'in'?" Sean inquired. In his hand, he held two tiny bottles of Fireball whiskey; both for himself. 

"Yeah. I've never seen it. You down?" Mark grabbed a bottle of alcohol without looking and downed the whole thing. 

Sean shrugged. "Sure, why not?" Into his mouth went both Fireball whiskeys— it burned so good on the way down, the cinnamon giving his taste buds a nice slap to wake them up. 

At the first commercial break, Mark got up somewhat unsteadily. "I needta take a piss." 

Sean, already somewhat tipsy, commented, "I'll notify t' media." 

Mark's adorable giggle made Sean's stomach jump and twist, his thick eyebrows furrowing at the feeling. 'I need more alcohol in me,' he thought, and drank a tiny Grey Goose vodka. 

The movie came back on shortly after. Sean shouted at Mark to hurry up, and before long they were sitting (or, rather Mark was reclining against the headboard and Sean was lying on his side) next to each other once more, drinking and watching the movie, which both men were becoming intensely interested in. They were at the point in the movie where Heath Ledger's character was sitting outside the tent at night really, really drunk while Jake Gyllenhaal's character was asleep inside. Mark was already very drunk, being unable to hold his liquor very well due to his genetic alcohol sensitivity; Sean was getting there, but he was still pretty coherent, and could understand what was happening in the movie— right now, Heath Ledger was entering the tent and roughly waking Jake Gyllenhaal. Now they were kissing. Sean's cheeks were ablaze, more from the movie than anything else— oh holy shit, he was watching a gay movie with another man in a hotel room. 'Did I suddenly end up in a fanfiction?' He thought, side-eying Mark only to find that he was... really... into it? His eyes were wide and the small bottle of scotch was frozen at his lips. Sean wanted to say something, like ask if he was okay, but he couldn't find the right words, so he stayed silent. 

At least, he did, until Mark said quietly, "Have you ever had dreams about someone you know could never love you the same way you love them?" 

The heaviness of the question hit Sean like a punch in the nose, stunning him to utter silence for a few moments. He shakily drank more booze. "What?" He finally managed to say once he was more sufficiently buzzed. He received no response, just Mark sipping his alcohol and watching the TV, mellow and somewhat brooding. On screen, it was the morning after— both men wouldn't even look at each other. Sean kind of felt that happening right now. 

By the halfway point of the movie, Sean was finally starting to feel drunk. Looking down at Mark, he said, "Hey Mark," 

Mark sat up clumsily, turning to face Sean with... with an odd expression of... Well, Sean wasn't sure. He was too drunk to properly read him. Anyway, he motioned to the TV with his hard cider, asking, "Wha' d'ya think of de movie so far?" His voice was beginning to slur. 

Using the top of his wrist, Mark wiped at his eyes and forehead, his other arm and hand occupied with alcohol and supporting his weight against the absurd amount of pillows. "I don't—" His voice cracked. "I don't want to watch it anymore." 

Was he _crying?_ Sean reached out and placed his hand on Mark's back. "Are ya alright?" 

Mark leaned into the touch, closing his eyes, his bottom lip shivering; with a graceful sweep of his leg, the empty bottles of liquor went clinking to the carpeted floor, and before Sean's cloudy and buzzed mind could register it, Mark was clinging to him with his lips pressed to his own. But when it finally did, Sean had never sobered up faster than he did in that moment; taking Mark by the shoulders, he pushed him away, shock and confusion twisting up his face. "What the..." Was all he could manage to comment. 

"Come on... Sean, pl... please...." Mark was practically begging, feebly trying to break free of Sean, probably so he could try and kiss him again. 

There was that one small part of Sean saying that kissing the beautiful Mark right now wouldn't be so bad, and, as the adrenaline faded from his system and the alcohol retook control, it grew louder. "No, Mark..." Sean got out of bed, Mark falling onto his hands and knees with drunken need radiating off of his skin when he was released. "You need to... we..." The mostly drunk Jackaboy stumbled away from the bed, toward the complimentary coffee machine above the now empty mini fridge. "We just need some coffee." 

From behind him, Sean heard quiet sobs; he closed his eyes and bit down on his bottom lip, pausing in his coffee making. He didn't... he didn't want to ignore his friend's plight, but he didn't know how to help him, either, not when he was as tipsy as he was. "Do you hate me, Sean?" A choked voice asked. 

Whipping about, Sean cried, "What?" 

Mark flinched. 

"Sorry." Sean winced. He sighed and walked up to him. "I don't hate ya, Mark." 

"I wish you did," Mark said in a distraught and broken tone, raising his hands to cover his face. "It'd be easier than this." 

Confusion clouded Sean's expression. "What? What d'ya mean?" 

The tear-wetted hands of Mark left his face and reached out to Sean, gripping his shirt and pulling him close, so close that he was practically on top of him. "Stay with me?" Mark whispered, pressing his wet and warm face into his friend's chest, arms encircling Sean's waist. 

"Uhh..." Sean heard the beep of the coffee machine letting him know his drink was ready. "Mark... If you could just... let me get the coffee for you..." He grabbed Mark's hands and pulled them apart so he could get away. Once he was, he went over to the coffeepot and poured two cups of coffee— one for himself, the other for Mark. He walked back to the bed and sat down, handing his still heavily intoxicated friend one of the mugs. Quietly they sipped their black coffee together; it took Sean a moment to realise that Mark was leaning against him, nearly asleep and barely drinking. In spite of himself, Sean reached up and brushed the hair out of his sleepy friend's face, feeling an intense desire to kiss him anywhere and everywhere. 'No,' Sean reprimanded himself mentally, 'that's the alcohol talking.' Instead of allowing the immoral part of himself to take advantage of his closest friend, he took Mark's drink from him and set it on the bedside table, along with his own. Then he slowly maneuvered the both of them onto the much too small bed until they were basically spooning, turned off the TV, and did his best to fall asleep with Mark's perfect butt pressing against his junk.

*

Loud knocking on the door roused Sean grumpily from his sleep; his head was both pounding and stabbing, and his body felt weak. He opened his eyes groggily and, once they focused, they settled on the peaceful face of Mark, who was cuddled up in his arms. Sean jolted back, causing Mark to shift and mumble in his sleep; he said something unintelligible, but from the smile he had on his face it must have been something good. Blushing and sweating, he slowly detached himself from Mark's warm, wonderful embrace and got out of bed, dragging his feet as he trudged along to answer the door. Unlocking and twisting the handle, he pulled the door open and peeked out to find Aaron smiling his small smile at him. "Hey, Sean," He said. Upon seeing Sean's dark under-eye bags, his underwear, his half-open eyes, and bed hair, he frowned and asked, "Were you still sleeping? I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." 

"No, it's ok. Uhm..." Sean waved away his apology. "What time is it?" 

Aaron checked his phone. "Almost ten. PAX starts in half an hour." 

Sean groaned and lightly whacked his head against the door jam. "Piss." 

A tinkling bell-like laugh came out of Aaron, making Sean smile and his stomach do the flutteries. "Well, come on then, let me help you get ready." Aaron walked into the shared hotel room once Sean had stepped aside and allowed room for him to enter. Of course, the state of the floor made him stop. "Were you guys drinking last night?" 

Every single thing that happened the night before came rushing back to Sean like opened floodgates. "Uhh..." He mumbled. "Yeah..." 

Aaron shook his head and said no more on it, instead stepping over the empty scattered bottles toward Sean's luggage, crouching down and digging around in the suitcases until he found Sean some clothes. "Here," He said, standing upright, pivoting about until he was facing his friend, "Get dressed. And you should probably shower, as well. I'll wake up Mark." 

Sean barely managed to catch the clothes that were thrown to him. "Ok... I'll do t'at." He mumbled. At a slow pace, he stumbled along into the bathroom. 

The heat of the water and the steam helped to clear his unbearably foggy brain, though it didn't do much for his splitting headache. To be honest, though, Sean really didn't _want_ to be coherent; after everything that had happened— with Mark kissing him and asking all those weird questions about love and his speaking in riddles— Sean just wanted to be unconscious or too drunk to know his ass from his face. Standing under the hot water washing his hair, Sean let out an exasperated sigh at the horrible way his first convention had started out. And he hadn't even gone to PAX yet! 'Just fuck my ass, honestly.' He thought with slight malice and contempt. Oddly enough though, he wasn't mad at Mark; he found that he couldn't be. No, he was mad at himself, at the confusion in his mind, at the strange situation he found himself in— mostly the confusion. It was like, one part of himself wanted the advances Mark had made towards him last night (and that was a _big_ part), yet on the other side didn't want them because of his girlfriend (this would be the _loudest_ part). Sean wasn't a homophobe or anything, no no; if anything, he was the opposite, completely willing to date or bang anything with a pulse— he didn't know what it was called, and frankly he didn't feel bothered to find out. It was just that... he had a girlfriend, whom he loved and had been dating for over two years now, albeit long-distance. And Mark was a good friend of his, why jeopardize what was already good with romance or whatever? 

The more he thought, the more frustrated Sean felt himself becoming about his entire situation. Now grumpy, he finished rinsing off and brushing his teeth and turned off the water, stepping out of the warmth of the shower into the cold bathroom, snapping a towel from the ring bolted to the wall and quickly drying his body and hair. He then got dressed and, picking up his pajamas, left the bathroom with a half-assed smile on his face in an attempt to make himself feel better. Aaron saw him and smiled brighter— at least the fake grin worked on _someone—_ and then turned back to Mark, who Sean had only just noticed was standing next to him, not looking too particularly cheerful. A furious blush rushed onto Sean's face like an avalanche, making him lower his head and quickly walk past the duo so they couldn't see his cherry red face. Dropping his clothes onto his luggage, he stepped into his Vans and lifted each foot so he could pull the backs onto his feet. "Hey, Sean!" Mark called. 

Imbalanced, Sean nearly fell over at the kind of loud voice yelling at him. Mark and Aaron laughed, their individual laughs so contrasting it almost made him dizzy— Mark's deep rolling chuckle, Aaron's twinkling starlight titter. His stomach twisted at the sounds. "What?" He asked, straightening up and facing his two friends. 

"D'ya want to get some breakfast after I'm done getting ready?" Mark asked. 

"Sure," Sean rubbed his hands over the front of his thighs, looking to Aaron. "Are ya comin'?" 

"I'll be there." Aaron told him, doing his little lifted lip corner smile. "Bob and Wade are waiting for you two." 

"I'd better get a move on, then." Mark commented, and then made for the bathroom. Sean subconsciously watched him go, snapped back to reality when the door to the hotel room opened. He looked to find Aaron about to leave. 

"I'll see you at breakfast, Sean." He waved to his friend, and Sean waved back. 

"See ya, man." 

The door closed, and Sean and Mark were again alone together.


	2. Day Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean's anxiety and stress is making him sick; can Aaron help him overcome it, or will he have to face the truth?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to do my best to upload a chapter for every day of PAX, so keep an eye out every day until Sunday for a new chapter!

Breakfast was just a quick stop at the local coffeehouse to get some wake up juice and some kind of food from the fridge next to the counter. The pleasant conversation from all five of the men took Sean's mind off of things past as they all walked to the convention center. Not five seconds after they got there, a small group of cosplayers ran up to them with excitement in their eyes. "Markiplier!" The leader of the group cried. 

Mark winced a small bit, but kept smiling. "Hi!" He said.  


The leader, an androgynous person in a Kill La Kill cosplay, held up their Nikon Cool Pix camera in baby blue. "Can we get a picture with you guys?" They asked.  


Mark looked to his friends, not making eye contact with Sean. "You guys OK with it?"  


Everyone nodded except Sean, but he leaned in for the picture anyway. Just as the shutter was about to click, he felt a hand touch his lower back and jumped, causing a chain reaction that threw everyone off balance; almost in slow motion, the whole group of people, save Bob and the two cosplayers standing in front of him, either stumbled or fell in a grand, unrehearsed wave, the sound of the shutter clicking sounding it all off. Sean hit the ground with an _oof,_ and then oofed again when someone landed on top of him. "Oww..." He grabbed the shoulders of the person laying on his chest and stomach and pushed.  


"Sorry..." The person apologized. Sean felt their muscles ripple when they lifted themselves up. He opened his eyes and stared in absolute astonishment— _it was Mark._ There was another shutter click.  


He began to feel lightheaded, his heart slamming in his chest. "Ahm..."  


Mark stared down at his friend with a quirked eyebrow. "Are you okay? You don't look so hot, bro." He asked. When he was completely off of Sean, he bent and offered his hand to him. Sean took it and felt the powerful arm pull him to his feet. 'Ah jeez,' He thought as he stared at the muscles on Mark's arm and chest flex from the action. "My eyes are up here, Sean." There was a lightheartedness in his voice.  


Sean nearly choked and looked away. "Yeah." Mumbled he.  


A laugh that made his cheeks burn. "Let's try that again."

After a couple of panels, it was time for lunch at the diner next to the main building. When they all sat down in a booth— Bob and Wade on one side, Mark, Aaron, and Sean on the other (not exclusively in that order)— and picked up their menus, Sean looked at the food and, without warning, felt a wave of nausea wash over him. "Oh God," He gagged, covering his mouth. "Let me out let me out!" He clambered over Aaron and bolted from the booth to the men's bathroom, slamming into the first empty stall and over a toilet. Dry heaves twisted and knotted his stomach, tears running out of his eyes and saliva and stomach acid dripping from his mouth, burning his throat and leaving an awful taste in his mouth. From behind him, he heard the bathroom door open, the gentle sound of Aaron's voice calling to him. "Sean? You alright?" Futile question, really.  


Sean heaved one last time before lifting his shaking right hand to give Aaron a thumbs up, bro, and to flush the toilet. He tried to stand, but fell back to his knees almost immediately as they were too weak to support his weight just yet. An arm wrapped around his ribs under his left arm and helped him up and to the sink. Sean rested on the marble counter for a moment just _breathing,_ or at least trying to through the thick saliva and the nasty taste. A hand settled on his back and rubbed softly; Sean couldn't bring himself to look at the other male in the mirror, so he just bent down and waved a hand to activate the motion sensor on the faucet, cupping his hands and filling them with water, washing his mouth out with the cool, albeit probably dirty liquid. "Do you want to go back to the hotel?" Aaron asked quietly. His hand was still on Sean's back, slipping down to the dip lower down when Jack straightened up.  


"I-I think that's probably best." Sean answered in a croak.  


Aaron did his cute, tiny smile and helped him out of the bathroom and to the booth where their friends were. He had no idea what happened after that, but when he finally became aware of his surroundings again, he was walking slowly down the hallway to his and Mark's shared hotel room, Aaron still supporting him and holding the key. "What happened...?" Sean mumbled.  


"You've been sor' of out of it since the diner. Don't worry, we're almost to your room." Aaron told him in a smooth voice. They stopped outside of the door and Aaron unlocked it, using his foot to close it quickly so he didn't have to let go of Sean, guiding him to the bed and onto it. Aaron dropped to his knees and took off Sean's shoes.  


"Thass all yer gettin' off me." Sean tried to joke.  


That tinkling bell laugh again. "Maybe later." Aaron replied.  


Even through the fog in his brain, the suggestive response registered and caused Sean to flush deeply. He swallowed thickly, watching Aaron reach for the zipper of his coat with the intent to help him out of it. Sweating, Sean stopped him in the worst way possible- grabbing his hands. "I've... I've got it." He almost whispered.  


It took way too many seconds for Aaron to remove his hands from his body.  


There was complete silence save for the sound of the zipper as Sean removed the heavy snow coat from himself, feebly tossing it away somewhere near the foot of the bed. Aaron pressed his cold hand to Sean's feverish forehead. "You feel too warm. Maybe you're sick?" He said.  


Sean knew why he felt like this, but there was no way in hell he was telling Aaron (or anyone, for that matter), so he just shook his head. "I just need some rest. Timezone changes 'll really do a number on ya." Another attempt at humour. 

Aaron didn't seem convinced, but he sighed a little. "If you're sure..."  


Sean wasn't sure, but he didn't have the energy or the will to tell Aaron otherwise. So, instead, he just laid down and closed his eyes.

It was late, maybe nine or ten at night. Sean was standing outside of the bathroom, reaching for the doorknob with the intention of going in and brushing his teeth for bed. He opened the door and pushed it inward, hearing it creak open, steam rolling out and clouding his vision for a brief moment. When it cleared, his eyes landed on a person standing in the middle of the tile floor, completely naked. It didn't take him long to realize who it was. "Mark?" He quietly called.  


The tan man turned around, his deep brown eyes meeting with Sean's bright blues. Suddenly, Sean felt really cold. "What are you doing?" Mark asked with slight anger in his voice.  


Sean found himself unable to speak, his heart jumping into his throat.

Nearly having a heart attack woke Sean from his hot-turned-panicked dream, clutching at his chest and gasping like he'd just surfaced from deep underwater. "Jesus..!" He breathed.  


Movement from beside him in the bed caused him to whip his head in that direction; it was Aaron, who, judging from the phone in his lap, had been passing the time on either social media or texting. "Are you alright?" He questioned, softly taking a hold of his friend's upper arm.  


"F.. Fine. Just—" Sean rubbed a hand over his face. "Bad dream."  


There was silence a moment. "... About Mark?"  


Sean looked at Aaron like he'd just told him that his house had burned down. "What?"  


"You were talking.. in your sleep." The tips of Aaron's ears turned pink. "It sounded like it was, uhm..."  


Sean felt his cheeks warm. "Oh."  


Silence ensued once more. Figuring that it'd be better if he explained himself, Sean cleared his throat and said, "It wasn't, by the way." His fingers fidgeted with the blanket. "Just... something that's been on my mind."  


Aaron nodded, slipping his phone back into his front pocket and readjusting himself so that he was facing Sean fully. Sean curled in on himself, resting his chin on his arms on top of his bent knees, feeling the pull of tears in his eyes and blinking them away. 'This is so stupid,' he thought. 'Crying over a fucking dream.'  


Something touched his shoulder, and when he turned to ask what Aaron wanted, he suddenly had lips on his. Shock rendered him incapable of doing anything, at least, it did, until he was slowly pushed down onto the bed and the kiss was deepened, Aaron's tongue licking at his bottom lip. He gripped the front of his friend's shirt and pushed weakly a couple times until he released the lip lock. "Fuck... Aaron, wait..." He gasped.  


Aaron, panting with spooned brows and completely pink ears, nodded a few times quickly. "I-I'm sorry... I-I don't know what..."  


There was too much happening for Sean's overwhelmed mind to comprehend, so he just kissed Aaron in an attempt to cancel everything out. Whatever happened next... just whatever.

*

When he woke up a couple hours later, he was alone.  


He laid in the bed feeling cold and empty, crying and shaking, a heavy and churning despair building up inside of his gut. "Fuck!" He yelled, grabbing a pillow and throwing it across the room. "Shit! Fuck! God _dammit!"_  


There was the sound of the bathroom door opening quickly and the pattering of feet running up to him. "Sean? What's wrong?" Mark asked.  


Sean felt like dying— _why did Mark have to be here?!_ ""m fine!" He nearly screeched, forcing out a laugh. "I'm good! Everything is great!"  


Mark's expression was a mixture of fear and worry. "Are you... sure?"  


"No, I'm sure! I'm _great!_ Aaron—!" Sean cut himself off before he said something he'd regret.  


"Aaron? He left to get you some Tums and stuff for your stomach." Mark frowned and reached a hand out to hold Sean's shoulder. "Sean, are you sure you're ok?"  


Sean involuntarily flinched violently away. "Yeah! I just..." He covered his countenance briefly. "I haven't eaten in a while."  


"Well, Aaron should be back soon, so,"  


Sean didn't reply. 'What is wrong with me?' He thought somewhat desperately. 'Why is this happening?'  


"Hey uh," Mark said, "Sean, can I ask you something?"  


Sean pushed down the overbearing feelings of distress and jealousy and need so he could try and act natural. "Sure, what is it?"  


"Well," Mark's hands wouldn't keep still. "I remembered something about... about last night. When we were drinking."  


Even though Sean was doing his best to smile, his entire inside was screaming.  


"Did I uh, did I... kiss you?"  


Sean was thrust into a speed-of-light flashback of that entire ordeal, causing him to hyperventilate due to his heart suddenly picking up its pumping speed. He started to feel faint. "I don..." He slurred. "You... we..."  


Mark blushed and looked down at his feet. "Oh."  


"Yeah,"  


Mark was about to say something else when the door to the room opened and Aaron, Bob, and Wade stepped through. Aaron smiled with his pink ears and nose— from the cold or seeing Sean, who knew. "I've brought you some stuff for your stomach, buddy." He told him, setting the bag on the bed next to him and briefly touching his hand. The action did not go unnoticed by Sean, or, by the slight furrowing of his brows, by Mark, either.  


"How're ya feelin', Sean?" Wade asked him, walking further into the room beside Mark.  


"Better," Sean informed him vaguely.  


"Do you think you'd be up for a night out on the town?" Bob inquired.  


Sean thought a moment before answering with, "In a bit, yeah, I t'ink so."  


"Good, because we all have this idea..."  


For some reason, Sean blanked out, and he knew that he had because when Bob was done, he couldn't remember a word the man had said, even though he'd apparently agreed to everything Bob had told him. "Great! We'll see you then!" Wade said with a smile.  


"Huh?" Sean mumbled, but then nodded. "Yeah, see you guys."  


Bob, Wade, and Aaron waved goodbye and left, leaving Mark and him alone once more. Sean didn't know where to even begin with Mark. 

"Uhm, listen, Mark—"  


Mark held up a hand to quiet him. "Before you say anything, I just... I want to let you know that I really..." He chewed his bottom lip, then continued. "I really like you, OK?"  


The entire world slipped out from beneath Sean and, for a moment, he was free falling. "... What?"  


"I like you, alright? Like a lot. I tried—" Mark closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "I tried to lock it away because you have a girlfriend and we're such good friends, but when I saw you... God, when I saw you come through those doors at the airport I _knew_ that I couldn't do it. I like you too much. I might... I might even..."  


Sean knew what was coming next. He closed his eyes and gripped the sheets beneath him until the tips of his fingers went numb.  


"I might even love you."  


That heavy feeling of despair from earlier seemed to twist and change into a thick ball of fluttering butterfly wings, rising up to the bottom of his ribcage before breaking apart and dissipating; it was a wonderful feeling, bright and beautiful and full of happiness. There was a tightening in Sean's chest, a burn in his throat, and before he knew it he was laughing.  


He was falling in love, and it was going to completely change everything.


	3. Day Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> >B)

Sean had yelled. He didn't know why, he didn't know about what he'd yelled, but he had, and now Mark was cowering with wide eyes, arms up to protect himself. Sean was breathing heavily and his brows were furrowed deeply, but he couldn't remember a word he'd said. "Mark, I... I-I'm so sorry..." He whispered.  


Hesitantly, Mark lowered his defensive position until he was standing upright once more. Sean grabbed his hair and doubled over, feeling his eyes begin to burn. "I don't know what to do anymore..." 

He felt Mark place hands over his own and pull them away from his hair, causing him to lift his head, his watery blues staring up to the man standing over him.  


"I'm sorry I hurt you." Mark said in a low tone.  


"No, no, Mark, it's not yer fault." Sean stood up and squeezed the hands he was holding. "It's me. Everything that's happening... everything that _happened..."_ He blushed a bit. "It's overwhelmin', y'know? I'm gonna need some time t'... think."  


Mark didn't respond, and then after a few seconds, broke away from his friend and ran out of the room, leaving Sean grasping at air. He let his hands fall to his sides and sighed long and loud. 'I need some sleep,' He thought, and fell onto the bed.

This time, in his dream, there was no coldness or anger; only Sean and Mark sitting on the bed watching TV. It was a recreation of their first night together during PAX, but this time, when Mark kissed him, Sean didn't pull away. Instead, they kept kissing, laying down on the bed, clothes coming off...

Sean awoke feeling an incredible pressure in his jeans, which he was still wearing and were unbelievably uncomfortable to wear to bed. "Shit," He grumbled, staring down at his crotch- a boner, great. He really, _really_ didn't feel like nutting, so he just tried to go back to sleep, but then he suddenly remembered Mark in his underwear and felt like punching himself; there was no getting around it, he had to clean the pipes. Feeling dirty and guilty, he got out of bed and hobbled to the bathroom. He really wanted to think that he hadn't said Mark's name or thought of his friend when he finished, but he'd be lying to himself.  


When he left the bathroom, Mark was standing in the middle of the room, his hands in his pockets and his head down. Hesitant, Sean took a few steps closer to him. "Mark," He said.  


"I think it's time we talked, Sean. About what we're gonna do now that—"  


Mark was cut off by Sean's cellphone ringing; Sean closed his eyes and let out a breath— it was his girlfriend's ringtone. He took his phone out of his pocket and answered it, not looking at Mark for his reaction. "Hey, sweetheart." Said he.  


"여보세요!" (you bo se yo, hello) She greeted. "I just wanted to talk to you before I went to bed."  


Sean smiled. "Aww, you."  


She laughed, and it sounded like what the first day of spring would if it had a sound. "You are at PAX, right? Did you get to meet your friends?"  


The smile dropped slowly from Sean's face. "Actually, babe, I... I wanted to talk to you about that." Turning, he walked back into the bathroom, forgetting completely about Mark's presence in the room. Once the door was shut and locked, he sat on the toilet seat and took a couple deep breaths.  


"What happened?" She sounded worried. "Sean?"  


"Listen... t'is is gonna be a... bit of a shock to you, okay? But I want trust in our relationship, so that's why I'm telling you."  


"Sean, you are scaring me."  


"I'm sorry, sweetie, just bear wit' me." More deep breaths, and then Sean was ready. "A lot has happened since I got here, and it's been rough. It still is. I want to hope you can forgive me for all of this shit, but honestly I wouldn't even forgive myself." A pause. "Mark and I got drunk the night I got here, and... and he kissed me. I-I pushed him away immediately, and I made coffee for us both to sober us up, to keep him a-and me from doing anything else, and it worked, I guess. But then..." Sean rubbed a hand over his face and sniffed. There was no commotion on the other end of the line, so he kept going. "The next day, I got really sick from what had happened between me and him, like really sick, so Aaron took me back to the hotel room— oh, me and Mark are sharing a room because the hotel lost my reservation— and put me to bed. When I woke up from a... bad dream, he comforted me, and... kissed me. I didn't..." By now, Sean was crying. "I didn't stop him. I kissed him back, and we..." He paused to clear his throat and wipe his eyes. "We didn't have sex, okay? Know that. At least not that I can remember, I was still really sick.  
"After that I went to sleep, woke up a couple hours later to Mark in the room. He said that he wanted to know if he'd kissed me that night, and I said yes." Resting his forehead in his hand, Sean went on. "Then he told me he loved me."  


Commotion on the other end of the line. It sounded like someone speaking Korean from a distance; Sean couldn't make out any words he knew. "And babe, I think... I think maybe I'm falling in love with him, too."  


Silence. Unending, ravenous silence. After two minutes or so, Sean checked to make sure the phone didn't hang up , only to hear someone speaking just as he'd pulled the phone away from his ear. "Have you told him that?" She asked.  


Sean frowned. "No, why?"  


"Because if you love someone, you should tell them. Sean," She sighed. "I am not angry at you. Upset, yes, who couldn't be, but I'm not angry. Listen to me: the only person who can make decision for you in this situation is yourself. I am happy you told me and did not keep me in the dark, but I can't help you in this because it is personal for you only. I can not tell you how to feel for who."  


Sean nodded. "I know,"  


"Good," It sounded like she was smiling. "It is late. 잘자." (Jal ja, goodnight)  


"Goodnight."  


Locking his phone and sliding it into his front pocket, he doubled over and covered his face with both hands, just _thinking._ What now? What was next for him? Should he tell Mark he was falling in love with him? But then what would that mean for the relationship he was already in? 'It'd be over,' He thought. 'She and I can't be together if I love someone else. But, _do_ I love someone else?' 

Here comes the doubt. 'I love my girlfriend, I'm pretty sure, but then Mark...' The way he felt for his friend was... a whole new category, something he'd never experienced before with anyone. It was different and bright and full of warmth and light and the feeling of almost missing a step on the stairs- it was all of that, yet there was the component of unfamiliarity, of uneasiness to get involved with something he wasn't sure if he was ready for yet. But was he really not ready, or was he just trying to stick with the safety blanket? He didn't know. Sean just didn't know. The only way to find out was to talk.  


He left the bathroom and joined Mark on the bed, choosing to sit closer to him than he normally would have in order to feel that electric connection shoot between their bodies, his hairs standing on end. "Mark," He began. "I think I love you, too."  


Mark whipped his head up to stare at Sean. "Really?"  


Sean laughed a little. "Yeah. But I don't know if I can... commit to anything yet. This is all new ground fer me. But yeah."  


Mark was staring at Sean as if he had put the stars in the sky and gave him the air he needed to breathe. Sean could see his own expression in the reflection of Mark's glasses and it was almost the exact same.  


He initiated the kiss first, something small and sweet, but Mark was almost overbearing, much too excited and eager and climbing onto his lap so he could tilt their heads to deepen the kiss further. Sean felt Mark press his body against his and moan just the smallest bit. It made his heart skip and his hardening dick jolt in his jeans. He buried his hands in the mess of Mark's hair and licked at his bottom lip to signal that he wanted him to part his lips, which he did, allowing Sean to French kiss him. Mark groaned louder, one hand pulling at Sean's short hair, the other clawing at his upper back.  


God, Sean felt so fucking dizzy. He'd never... this something so incredibly foreign, so _new_ to him that it made his head spin. Every sensation, every touch was like electricity across his body: Mark's stubble, his heavy nasal breathing, his nails digging into his skin, the rubbing and pressing of his broad, strong chest and abdomen against his own... it was a breathtaking, euphoric feeling. Or maybe it was the lack of oxygen to his brain. Sean slid his lips from Mark's and down to his neck, biting and kissing and suckling in an attempt to pull another rumbling moan from him. He was successful and got to feel the vibrations of the obscene noise shake through his body and down to his dick. In his left ear, he heard Mark panting and mewling; if he was this noisy and flustered with just this, Sean wondered what he'd be like with his hand on his dick. He started undoing the front of Mark's pants so he could find out. "Hh... wait... Sean..." Mark breathed, sitting back and grabbing Sean's wrist.  


"What? What's wrong?" Sean asked, ceasing his actions.  


"I d..." Mark began; his face was completely red, his eyes half-lidded, lips pink and swollen. His hair was sticking out everywhere and was falling in his face. To Sean, he looked like an angel. "I don't want to do that yet," He finished.  


"Oh."  


Sean removed his hand from Mark's crotch, instead opting to hold his slim waist. He'd never noticed how curvy and feminine Mark's physique was. It was both adorable and hot as hell, since he was still very built alongside that. "What now?" He asked.  


"Just hold me," Mark said. "Please."  


Sean nodded, hugging Mark closer and falling with him down onto the bed. "Wait a sec," Mark reached into both of their pockets and put their phones on silent, dropping the mobiles somewhere behind him. "No interruptions."  


Sean chuckled lightly.  


Out of sight, Mark's and Sean's phones lit up with text notifications.

*

Around eight the next day, Sean awoke to find the bed empty and cold. A heaviness pressed down onto him, making him feel like he was sinking further into the bed; a rock on top memory foam. Sighing and feeling mad at himself for being irritated that Mark was gone, he sat up and was about to get out of bed when he heard the rustling of paper. He turned toward the sound to find a sheet of paper on the pillow beside where his head had been. It read,  


_Sean,_  
  
_Gone to pax with Aaron to hang out. Bob and Wade are going to meet us later. I hope to see you, too <3_  
  
_— Mark xox_  


Sean laughed in spite of himself at the heart and xox. "What a fockin' dweeb." He said aloud even though it made his heart skip a beat. Folding the paper into a small square, he held onto it as he changed his clothes, and then pocketed it alongside his phone before he brushed his teeth, then left to check if Bob and Wade were awake yet. Just as he closed the door to his shared hotel room, Bob's door opened to reveal Bob himself, looking particularly serious. "Sean, good, you're up." He said.  


Noticing the unusually stern expression on his usually chill friend's face, Sean frowned. "Bob? What is it?"  


"We need to talk. Come on in."  


Sean furrowed his brows deeper, but entered the room. Inside, Wade was sitting on a chair backwards next to the bed, also oddly serious. "What's... goin' on?" Sean asked.  


"That's what we'd like to know." Wade said.  


Bob passed Sean to sit on the bed. When he had, he waved his friend over. "Come on, sit."  


Slowly, Sean walked over and sat down, turning so he could face both men. "What's up, guys?"  


"We know about you and Mark," Bob said.  


"Or," Wade cut in quickly, "We know that Mark likes you."  


"Oh." Sean felt his cheeks heat up.  


"Yesterday, Mark came to us for advice about what to do now that you knew he liked you." Wade went on.  


"Oh, and he told us about how you yelled at him." Bob told him; he sounded almost angry. "That wasn't appreciated."  


"If we find out you hurt him in any way, there'll be hell to pay, buddy." Wade threatened.  


Sean quickly shook his head. "No, God no, never! I could never hurt Mark!" He waved his hands in a "no-no" motion.  


"Good." Bob said. "Anyway, we told him that it was best if you two talked it over. And judging from the fact that you two didn't show at the dinner we had planned, you guys really talked."  


Sean had flashbacks to Mark breathing heavily into his ear and his post-makeout session face and hair. "Yeah, we did."  


"We're not gonna ask you for the details," Wade started, "We just want to know if you two are okay now."  


Nodding, Sean replied, "We're good now. I mean," He shrugged a little. "We don't know what we are yet, but I think me and him are on the same page."  


"Great!" Exclaimed Bob. He stood up. "Now that that's out of the way, let's get some breakfast."

After their breakfast of Fruit Loops and coffee, they bundled up and headed out into the cold of Boston in the direction of the convention center. They were stopped a couple times, but they mostly made it there without incident, Bob texting Mark for his and Aaron's location. Second floor near the escalators, the text said, so that's where they went, talking and laughing and pausing to take pictures and sign autographs until they caught sight of their friends next to a water fountain by the escalators. "Hey!" Sean smiled wide and waved wildly. Aaron and Mark waved back, Mark's smile brighter as Aaron was a naturally much calmer person. "How're ya, laddies?" Sean embraced both men.  


"Good to see ya up and around," Aaron said.  


"It feels good. I don't like being sick." Sean replied.  


"Don't I know it." Mark snorted lightheartedly.  


"Let's mingle!" Wade chimed in, bouncing up and down a little.  


Mark beamed at Sean, his whole body practically lighting up and his eyes... they were absolutely shimmering. Sean blushed when he felt Mark lace his fingers with his and squeeze; Mark's hand was warm and felt natural in his own. He looked over at his friends to find Bob doing his usual small smile, Wade with his dorky raised brows and toothy smile, and Aaron just generally looking happy for his friends. 

They did their rounds on the second floor and started to head back to the escalators when they were stopped by a sorta crusty-looking dude in a Rainbow Dash shirt. "Hey! Markiplier!" The guy cried. "Oh wow!"  


Mark smiled and waved a bit. "Hello,"  


"I loved your Flappy Fedora video. I'm glad that one of Youtubers I am subbed to shares my intellectual views."  


Everyone within earshot either chortled, laughed, or snorted. Mark shook his head a bit. "You know that was a spoof, right? I don't actually think that way." He said.  


The man appeared confused. "What?"  


"Yeah, man. That's a really gross way of thinking, I wouldn't want anyone subjected to that."  


Now the creep was angry. "You fucking cocksucking intellectual _plebeian!_ How dare you insult my intelligence!"  


Furrowing his eyebrows and no longer humoured, Mark stared the greasy neckbeard down. "There is no call for that kind of language. There are children present!"  


"Fuck you, faggot! I should stab you!"  


By now, bystanders had called security and were converging on the area. The dudebro, seeing his imminent demise if he stuck around, took off for the elevators, melting into the crowd of cosplayers. "What a douchebag!" Sean almost growled.  


"Whatever, he's gone now. Let's just try and have fun, ok?" Mark said.  


"Agreed." Bob nodded.  


Continuing on, the group of five made their way to the escalators so they could meet more fans on the ground floor and outside. Also, they wanted to go to some panels and meet up with other Youtubers attending PAX. 

Hours passed, and it was time to head back to the hotel to rest before they went out to dinner and dancing with a few of their other mutual friends. Sean and Mark were holding hands a bit more openly now that they were out of the con, which gave Bob, Wade, and Aaron free passes to poke fun at them. "My ship has sailed!" Aaron cried.  


"It's canon! Oh my God!" Wade chimed in.  


Mark giggled adorably, making those butterflies in Sean's stomach flutter. Anyone passing by would have thought, from his expression, that Sean was staring at his soulmate or his corporeal god.  


Out of nowhere, a man jumped in front of the group from the shadows. "Fag! I'll kill you for what you did to me!" He shouted.  


Aaron rolled his eyes. "It's that guy from before."  


Sean stepped up. "Listen man, you better beat it or we'll call t'e cops!"  


There was a _snikt,_ drawing attention to the pocket knife the guy was holding. "I'll kill you, Mark!" He lunged.  


"No!" Sean yelled with wide eyes, side-stepping into the path of the crazed neckbeard. A searing pain sliced through him from the slight right side of his abdomen, making him let out an _"Uff!"_ of shock and pain.  


Someone screamed out his name, hands grabbing at him as he slowly dropped to his knees, his vision blurring and head swimming. "Sean! Sean!!" Mark shouted, falling with him to the sidewalk.  


"Gah! Hah..." Sean gasped. "Mar-Mark! Are— hnn, are you—"  


"Shh, shh, don't talk, I'm fine!"  


Sean could tell that he was crying. In the background, Bob and Wade were restraining the assailant while Aaron called an ambulance. "I'm sorry, Mark, I c-couldn't—" Sean tried to say, tears forming in his eyes from the pain.  


"Sean, please," Mark reached for him, stroking the side of his face. "Don't leave me like this."  


The blackness at the edges of Sean's vision was closing in, and he had a hard time focusing. A coldness was spreading through him, causing his heartbeat to speed up and his breathing to quicken. "Ma-Mar-Mark—" He mumbled, but he was losing consciousness too quickly to say anything more.  


The last thing he heard was Mark screaming. 


	4. Day Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sean recovers in the hospital and finally talks to his girlfriend about the future of their relationship.

Mark's beautiful, radiant face was the only thing Sean found himself able to dream about, his wonderful radiance and brown eyes staring deeply into his.  


When he woke up, his eyelids lead-heavy and throat absolutely parched, Mark was the first thing he saw. Swallowing saliva to try and wet his whistle, he croaked, "Hey,"  


Mark jolted in his chair, which Sean smiled at. When the now not distracted Youtuber saw Sean looking at him, he started tearing up. "Hey," He whispered with a trembling smile.  


"Where are we?" Sean asked. He felt the hand in his own and squeezed it gently.  


The action made Mark smile brighter. "At the hospital. You..." His voice broke off a bit. "You got stabbed protecting me."  


Now the memories were coming back. "Oh right." He pulled a face. "The hospital."  


"Yeah."  


Sean worked up the energy to rub his thumb back and forth across the back of Mark's hand. "Are yuh alright?"  


Mark made an agreeing noise, nodding gently. He bent down and pressed his lips to Sean's hand, making Sean smile and ruffle his... Mark's hair. "Dork," He said.  


From where he was bent over the bed, Mark smiled into Sean's hand and huffed out an airy laugh. "Nerd." Was his reply.  


There was a quick succession of knocks at the door, and then the doctor came into the room, which made Mark sit up. "Hello, Sean. Good to see you awake." The doctor said. "I'm Doctor Kalib."  


"Hello," Sean greeted.  


Doctor Kalib lifted her clipboard and flipped through the papers before speaking. "You've suffered from a stab wound to the right side of your abdomen. Thankfully, the blade missed any vital organs— it's a flesh wound, really, but you did go into shock and that made your injury somewhat more severe than it would've been. However," She looked up from her board and smiled. "You're recovering nicely. You should be out of here within a couple of days."  


"But I have to fly back to Ireland on Sunday." Sean told her.  


The doctor was about to speak, but Mark held up a hand and said, "If I may—"  


Doctor Kalib gave a nod and left the room, leaving the two men alone. To Sean, Mark explained, "You've been out for a while, dude. You already missed your flight."  


Sean frowned. _"Really?"_  


Nodding from Mark. "The guys missed theirs, too. They wanted to be here for you."  


That made Jack grin a bit. "Aww."  


"Heh, yea."  


Silence ensued with Mark staring down at the ground and Sean at him; guilt was heavy in the air, Sean could feel it coming from the man beside him. He squeezed the hand he was holding and said quietly, "It wasn't your fault, Mark."  


"Then why do I feel like a piece of shit?"  


"Ya feel guilty, I get it." Sean lifted Mark's hand to his mouth and kissed it a couple times. "J'st know I don't blame ya fer it. Alright?"  


Mark was smiling a little now. "Alright."  


The door opened again, this time revealing Bob, Wade, and Aaron, along with a nurse carrying food. "Hey, buddy, how ya feeling?" Wade asked.  


"Tired, but I'm not in any pain." Sean responded.  


"That's good." Bob said.  


Aaron walked past the nurse— who had set up Sean's tray and was now leaving— to his friend's bedside, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it a light squeeze. "That was a brave thing you did, man. I'm proud of you." He told him.  


"We _all_ are." Bob added on.  


"You're a real hero, Jack." Wade continued.  


"You're _my_ hero." Mark said in a stupid voice. 

Sean rolled his eyes and smiled. Everyone aww'd, earning them all a half-hearted "Shush!" from Mark and Sean.

The next day, after the police came in to take Sean's statement and ask a few questions, Mark recorded a vlog with him and Sean. "Hey guys, it's Mark. For those of you who didn't already know from Twitter or Tumblr, Jack and I— well, Jack is, I'm just here for support—"  


"Which is much appreciated! It's boring as fock here," Sean blurted.  


Mark chuckled and grinned before he continued. "Anyway, Jack is here because, on Saturday night, he was stabbed in the stomach protecting me from a man who some of you may have seen yelling at me at PAX earlier that day. He's fine, don't worry—" Mark turned his phone and recorded Sean, who waved. Turning back to himself, Mark went on, "—Doctor Kalib says he'll be out of here by tomorrow, they just need to keep him here until the stitches heal enough and to make sure there's no lasting damage. But anyway, I just wanted to say that, the fact that someone was angry enough at me to want to physically harm me because I don't think the way they do is... absolutely _astonishing_ to me. To know that there are people like that on this Earth just makes me sad and... and if there was anything I could do, personally, to change that, I'd do it, even if it meant giving up my own life." Mark glanced at Sean like he was expecting a reaction, but Sean neither did nor said anything, merely watched him vlog with his arms crossed casually. "But what I think is the most beautiful and terrifying thing, is that someone close to me, whom I love VERY MUCH by the way!" He pointed at Sean and the two giggled. "Was willing to die to save me , and that is... that is really something, y'know? Like..." Mark's voice trailed off as a few tears welled in his eyes, his face lowering to the ground. 

Squeaking and rustling of sheets came from the bed, and then Sean took the phone from Mark and pointed it at himself. "But I didn't die, and that's the important thing! If I had t'e opportunity to go back and change it so t'at I didn't get stabbed, I wouldn't. Act first, t'ink later, that's what I say! Unless it's something bad, t'en, you should probably t'ink it through first. Anyway! I should be out'v t'e hospital by tomorrow, then on a flight t' Ireland by T'ursday at the latest!"  


Mark took his phone back. "That's all we had to tell you guys for this vlog. Uhm, we had a lot of fun at PAX, meeting you guys, getting gifts; we apologize for not being there Sunday, emergency and everything. Either way, that's it for now. Thank you guys so much for watching, and, as always, I'll see you in the next video. Bye-bye!" He waved until he stopped recording, and then put his phone away.  


"C'mere, Markimoo." Sean motioned for Mark to move closer, so Mark stood up and took a few steps over to the bed and climbed onto it, cuddling up with him. "I don't like seeing you cry, it makes my heart do the frowny emoji." 

That merited a chuckle from Mark, making Sean smile. "If you wanna be sad, be sad wit' me. I'm here fer ya, sweetheart."  


"Aww," Mark cooed, "you called me 'sweetheart'!"  


"Shoosh." Sean kissed over one of Mark's eyes, causing him to do a funny face. They both laughed.  


Calmness settled over them. In each other's embrace, they enjoyed the silence of the hospital room, broken only by the sound of Sean's heart monitor.

*

The ringing of Sean's cellphone woke him from the short nap he was taking. Blearily, he blindly reached around for his phone until he found it and answered it. "'llo?" He mumbled.  


"여보세요!" (you bo se yo, hello) Came the response— it was his girlfriend. "Finally decided to answer your phone?" She joked.  


"Oh, hello. I'm sorry, I should've called you, I'm in t'e hospital."  


"What! What happened?!"  


"Some guy tried to stab Mark, and I jumped in the way."  


"Are you okay?"  


"I'm fine, it was j'st a minor wound."  


"That is good to hear. And Mark is OK too?"  


"Yeah, he's fine. We both are."  


"Is that about the attack, or the other thing?"  


Sean knew what she meant, and sighed. "I think it's time we talked about us,"  


"There is nothing to talk about, Sean." Her voice seemed soft but determined, like she had her mind made up. "You are breaking up with me."  


Sean frowned. "Huh?"  


"Come on, silly. I know you by now. You love Mark, not me, not anymore at least."  


"And you're... okay with that?" Sean had a hard time believing what he was hearing.  


There was a laugh on the other end. "If I know you, you know me, and I do not like to hold on to something that is no longer there." When she received no response, she laughed again. "Chill pill, Sean. As they say in America, we can still be friends. Just because we are no longer dating doesn't mean we have to hate each other, right?"  


Now Sean laughed. "Yeah, you're right, of course. Thank you for being so understanding, hon."  


"It is no trouble on my part. I am happy for you and him."  


"Aww, you."  


They both laughed. Just then, the door opened and Mark stepped through with food from the food court downstairs; Jack hadn't even realized that he was gone. He saw Sean on the phone and furrowed his brows in question, warranting Sean to tell him who it was. "Oh. Tell her I say hi." He said.  


"Mark says hi." Sean told her.  


"Tell him hi also, and that I hope you two are happy together." Sean could hear the smile in her voice.  


"She says hi and that she hopes we're happy together."  


Mark came to a full stop at his chair, eyes wide and sandwich paused halfway to his mouth. "Does... does that mean we're finally..?"  


Cheeks a little red, Sean nodded. "Yeah."  


Dropping his food on the chair, Mark hugged Sean with tears building in his eyes and a sunshine smile on his face. "I love you! IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou!"  


"Jesus!" Sean nearly yelped, not prepared for his new boyfriend to hug him out of nowhere. "I love you, too, ya doof."

On Tuesday at 10 AM, Sean was finally released from the hospital with a bag of painkillers and antibiotics in one hand and Mark in his other. The police told him he was free to leave the States, but he (and Mark and the others) had to come back in two months for the trial of Mark and Sean's would-be killer. That was fine with them; they wanted that creep off the streets.  


As they were driving back to the hotel— Mark had paid for a couple extra nights— Sean asked Mark, "When did you start liking me?"  


Mark grinned and huffed a quick laugh. "Really?"  


"Yeah, I wanna know."  


"Heh, well, it's been a while, I can tell you that. Uhm," Mark made a contemplative expression. "Aboouut a week after we started playing together, I wanna say? Around that time. During a video chat." He smiled as though it were a fond memory, as it probably was. "It was your energy that got me first. You were so... God, I don't even know. _Bright._ Cheerful. You had so much life in you that I almost couldn't breathe. You were so animated and so..." Mark blushed and chuckled nervously. "Beautiful, it was like, to me, you were the sun, and it took my breath away."  


Sean was absolutely speechless, like what could he even say to that? How could he respond to that kind of confession? The knowledge of how Mark saw him, how he fell in love with him, almost wasn't registering in his brain. "Mark, I... I had no idea..." He finally managed to say. "T'at's so sweet, I don't know what t' say."  


Still blushing, Mark shrugged. "'I love you', maybe?"  


Leaning over in his seat, Sean stretched and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I love you."  


Mark got all giddy and grinned like an idiot.  


They finally pulled up to the front of the hotel, whereupon Mark stopped the car. "Wait inside, I'll park the car, ok?"  


"Alright."  
Sean got out with his bag and hurried inside, since it was still incredibly cold in Boston. He waited by the elevators for a few minutes, and then Mark showed up, calling the lift. They went up to their room together, Mark opening the door for Sean like a gentleman, allowing him inside first. The lights came on and people shouted "SURPRISE!!"  


"Fock! You guys!" Sean clutched his heart like an old person. "Give me a 'eart attack, why don'tcha, I just got outta hospital!"  


"Sorry." Bob said, though he was smiling.  


"It was Wade's idea," Aaron pointed his finger at Wade.  


"Hey!" Wade frowned and looked hurt.  


Mark shook his head. "They wanted to throw you a party before they flew back home." He told Sean.  


"This is a _party?_ Where're the strippers? Disappointing!" Sean joked. 

They all laughed.  


From where Bob was hooking up his phone to a portable speaker, music began to play— even though Sean was a metalhead, he could appreciate some Drake. Food was spread out on the small table Aaron had gotten from the room service people: pizza, chips and dip, cookies... CAKE. Sean immediately grabbed a slice and stuffed it in his mouth. "I take it back! Best party EVER!" He cried.

*

A couple hours later, the party was over, and Sean and Mark said their goodbyes to their friends before they left for the airport. Aaron gave Sean a hug and told him how happy he was for him and Mark; Bob warned him again not to hurt Mark or else; Wade said that he was glad everything turned out ok, and made Sean promise that he'd ask him first before anyone else to be his best man at his and Mark's wedding. When that was over, they all got into their respective rented cars or taxis and were gone.  


Now alone, the two men sat on the bed chewing gum and leaning against each other like two teenagers on a date at the movies. "What now?" Mark asked.  


Sean blew a bubble and squinted his eyes a bit in thought. "Hmm..."  


Mark did the same. "Hmm..."  


Suddenly, an idea popped into Sean's head and he smirked. Moving as fast as he could without pulling his stitches (which wasn't very fast at all), he climbed atop Mark's lap and loosely wrapped his arms around his neck. "Let's make out."  


Mark held Sean's waist and gave him a light peck on the lips. "You're injured." He told him. "We can't."  


"It ain't like we're gonna be havin' sex 'r nothin'! Just kissing." Sean protested in a near whine.  


"Just kissing?" Mark didn't sound convinced.  


"Yea."  


"Mm, okay, I'll play your games, you rogue."  


Sean swallowed his gum and smirked some more as he kissed Mark, deepening the kiss immediately by parting their lips and sliding his tongue into his boyfriend's mouth, rubbing against the other's own tongue and moaning. Mark groaned in return and slid his hands up and down Sean's back, gripping and clawing like he couldn't decide what to do. Sean loved it, and he loved the way Mark's hair felt in his fingers, playing with and tugging at it as he sucked and nibbled at Mark's bottom lip. That earned him a loud gasp of pleasure, stirring the arousal and heat already building in the bottom of his gut. He could take it no longer and shifted his attention to that wonderful neck, nipping and suckling and kissing with an open mouth, drawing more wonderful moans and cries from Mark. He put his hands up the back of Mark's shirt and slid them all over, feeling each flex of muscle, every bump and curve, like he was trying to memorize it all. When he moved his hands from the back to front, Mark started kissing Sean's neck, only he was a biter— not that Sean minded. He grunted and hissed, trying to focus on Mark's amazing body, but that was so hard to do when his neck was being overwhelmed by Mark's mouth. God he wanted to make Mark scream his name, but he knew that with his stitches that was definitely not going to happen, so he was happy just getting him to moan obscenely loud over the way he pulled his hair while giving him sloppy kisses and raking his nails down his back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is going to be short but cute! Stay tuned!


	5. Four Months Later

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The apartment tour :3c

"Hello everybody, and welcome to Markiplier's—"  


"And Jacksepticeye's!"  


"—apartment tour! Here you see a tall, handsome, strong man in the bathroom mirror who's also good at games— oh, and I'm there, too."  


"Shush, you!"  


"Never. Ah yes, there's my hand. Look at it point to our cool new shower with nothing in it— ok I guess we're moving on now. Never forget to reverse gyrate out of bathrooms with your boyfriend. Enter my lovely assistant Jack showing you how sturdy our office floor is by running around on it. Nice job, Jack."  


"Thanks! Look at that lakeside view of a car park, Mark."  


"It is indeed beautiful, Jack. Here we have a closet that is empty. Look at my hand, incredible. Moving on down the hallway, we enter the living room; so spacious and roomy, you can almost live in it. There's the three seconds of Jack sensually stroking a counter in our new kitchen— hope you enjoyed that three seconds of kitchen. More of that lakeside view from our sliding back door and cool patio. Jack stop rubbing your face on the glass, that's unsanitary."  


"Always mark your territory, just like t'e English did when they committed mass genocide of the indigenous population of America."  


"That's very true, Jack— look at our feet and fluffy carpet, truly a sight to behold."  


"I'm tearing up."  


"Here we have the front door in all its basic glory. What a wonderful wooden rectangle. We now enter the master bedroom and, wouldn't ya know it, _another_ bathroom! Those things are just all over the place, aren't they, babe?"  


"Indeedydoo they are. T'ere's a nice shot of my butt. I have a sweet ass."  


"And there's my butt, great additions to this apartment. In the bedroom, we have a large walk-in closet, how fancy are we?"  


_"So_ fancy! We'll have to start speaking in rich people accents and eatin' fockin' caviar or somethin'. Hope you enjoyed t'at split second view of the second hallway closet. Oh look, Mark, our new puppy!"  


"Aww, look at our little biscuit! Hey, that's what we should name him: Biscuit!"  


"That's just too cute, kinda like you."  


"Stop it you, you're making me blush— oh, nose cam. What is this, Animal Planet? Get out of here, Biscuit. Aaaand here we are again, back where we started. I hope you enjoyed Markiplier's—"  


"And Jacksepticeye's!"  


"—apartment tour. Thank you all so much for watching, and, as always, I will see YOU, in the next video. Bye-bye! Wave goodbye to Biscuit, everybody."  


"We're such a happy little family, look at us."  


"It's like we were pulled straight off of the Hallmark Channel."

And they lived happily ever after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who stuck around and gave me kudos, commented, and bookmarked! Ive enjoyed writing this and its helped me stick to a schedule which I desperately needed. <3


End file.
